An ugly, gay-flavored family feud brews in India, where 32-year old Preeti Verma‘s family alleged Verma killed herself over her husband’s affair with his male cousin. Verma married Sanjay Verma five years ago, but apparently Mr. Verma couldn’t get over his gay love.

Sanjay and Preeti were married for five years but he remained very close to his cousin Munna. That relationship must have driven her to suicide. Even when the two went on their honeymoon, Munna was with them. We want police to look into this relationship as the cause of Preetiâ€™s death. She did not make it public and suffered in silence, as she did not want to malign her husband.

Preeti’s family have now lodged an official – though sexless – complaint against Sanjya Verma and the cousin, which led to their arrest.
Police superintendent Praveen Kumar confirms,

On the basis of the complaint lodged by Preetiâ€™s brother, we arrested Sanjay Verma and his cousin Manoj. They have been remanded in judicial custody for seven days.

Sanjay’s father, meanwhile, contests the queer allegations,

I think the issue of the two having a relationship is baseless. Manoj and Sanjay are business partners and this might have brought them closer. I donâ€™t see anything wrong if two brothers live and work together to nurture their business.

He claims people are just out to smear his son’s name. Other members of the family say Preeti killed herself after three miscarriages.

There must still be some f*cked up laws in India (left over from British rule 100 years ago) that would allow these 2 gay men to be locked up simply based on the fact that the husband’s wife killed herself, for whatever reason.

If she allowed whatever shame she is alleged to have suffered to motivate her to kill herself, how could these 2 men possibly have prevented her death?

Seems more like it was her pride or expected loss of standing in the community that led to her decision to commit suicide. This is in no way the 2 (presumed) gay mens’ fault, but it is the fault of increasingly ignorant and repressive attitudes re: homosexuality in India.

Maybe a little more healthy acceptance and informed tolerance in her community could have avoided this woman’s suicide.